Pot thieves pull gun on grower in Chico

CHICO — Police are looking for two to three white men who threatened a man with a gun at his residence during a second attempt to steal his marijuana plants, according to the Chico Police Department.

The unidentified suspects were able to successfully take an unknown amount of plants without the owner knowing during a robbery sometime between 8:30 and 9 a.m. Wednesday at a residence in the 900 block of Forest Avenue, Chico Police Sgt. Rob Merrifield said during a phone interview.

The alleged thieves reportedly returned at about 10 a.m. in what appears to be a second attempt to steal additional plants from the legal marijuana garden, Lt. Linda Dye said at the scene.

During the second attempt, the man was inside his home when he spotted two men in the front of his property, Merrifield said. The man approached the suspects and at that time one of the men pointed a handgun at him.

The unidentified victim ran into his home and called 9-1-1 scaring off the suspects, Merrifield said. It is thought that nothing was taken at that time.

Authorities were first alerted to the unidentified men by residents on El Monte Avenue, which is county jurisdiction, Dye said. People called the Sheriff's Office and reported suspicious subjects who were then traced back to the Forest Avenue residence.

It is thought that the victim was asleep when the men first entered his yard from El Monte and took marijuana plants, Merrifield said. A caller from that street reported seeing suspicious looking men walking in a yard carrying marijuana plants and leaving. The witness then reportedly notified the victim of the theft.

The suspects may have used a smaller white vehicle to flee, but there is no make or model, Merrifield said. There was no vehicle seen during the attempted robbery.

Police officers and detectives saturated the surrounding areas and checked properties looking for the suspects, but they were not located.

One neighbor contacted officers and reported she thought someone ran through her yard, but it's unknown if that was related or if someone actually ran through there, Merrifield said.

The Police Department is still investigating, and no additional information or further description of the suspects was immediately available.

It was first reported two men were involved, but there might have been a third person, Merrifield said.

The victim, who has been living there for two years, told police that he had never had a problem before.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chico Police Department at 897-4911.

Reach Almendra Carpizo at 896-7760, acarpizo@chicoer.com, or on Twitter @AlmendraCarpizo.